Vehicle polishing method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A vehicle polishing method includes a first polishing step of moving a portal or gate-type travel frame travellable forwardly and backwardly in one of opposite travelling direction over a stationary vehicle to polish the body surface of the vehicle by rotary brush means mounted on the travel frame during such movement while applying a foamy primary treating agent containing an anionic surfactant onto the body surface by a primary treating agent applicator mounted on the travel frame, and a second polishing and rinsing step of moving the travel frame in the other travelling direction and polishing the body surface by the rotary brush means while applying an aqueous wax containing a cationic surfactant onto the body surface by an aqueous wax applicator, and ejecting fresh water onto the body surface by a rinsing unit mounted on the travel frame to wash away the excessive wax from the body surface. After termination of the first polishing step and before starting of the second polishing and rinsing step, the cationic surfactant-containing aqueous wax is applied to the rotary brush means for a predetermined period of time. The apparatus for carrying out such polishing method specifically includes an aqueous wax applicator which has nozzle means adapted to directly eject an aqueous way toward the rotary brush means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for polishing bodies ofvehicles, particularly of automobiles, and an apparatus for carrying outthe method.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A vehicle polishing method which is conventionally known, for example,from U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,246, comprises a first polishing step offorwardly or backwardly moving a portal or gate-type travel frametravellable forwardly and backwardly over a stationary vehicle to polishthe body surface of the vehicle by a rotary brush or brushes mounted onthe travel frame during such movement while applying a primary treatingagent containing an anionic surfactant in the foamy form onto the bodysurface of the vehicle by a primary treating agent applicator mounted onthe travel frame, and a second polishing and rinsing step, following thefirst polishing step, of backwardly or forwardly moving the travel frameand repolishing the body surface by the rotary brush or brushes duringsuch movement while applying an aqueous wax containing a cationicsurfactant onto the body surface by an aqueous wax applicator, and thenejecting fresh water onto the body surface from a rinsing unit mountedon the travel frame to wash away the excessive wax from the bodysurface.

With the above prior art method, when the cationic surfactant-containingaqueous wax applied at the second polishing step is deposited on theanionic surfactant-containing primary treating agent rubbed on the bodysurface at the first polishing step, both of the surfactants reacttogether to convert a wax component dissolved in the aqueous wax into aninsoluble wax component which is rubbed onto the body surface under thepolishing action of the rotary brushes to form a wax film. However,there is a slight time lag from the point of contact of both thesurfactants to the point when a satisfactory amount of the insoluble waxcomponent is produced. Meanwhile, an average of travel speeds of theportal travel frame has been recently increased as high as 9 to 10m/min. (formerly 4 to 5 m/min.) in order to provide a reduction inworking time, and there is also a tendency of the polishing time for thebody surface to be shortened. Particularly, for the body surface (e.g.,the front surface of a bonnet indicated by a character B in FIG. 6b)which is to be polished by the rotary brushes at the beginning of thesecond polishing step, i.e., at the beginning of contact of the primarytreating agent with the aqueous wax, the polishing can be completed whena satisfactory amount of the insoluble wax component is still notproduced, resulting in a failure to satisfactorily rub the insoluble waxcomponent onto such surface portion. This leads to a problem that a waxeffect on such surface portion is inferior to that on the other surfaceportion of the vehicle body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehiclepolishing method and apparatus wherein the above problem will not ariseeven if a portal or gatetype travel frame is of a high speed type.

According to the present invention, the above object is accomplished byproviding a vehicle polishing method comprising at least: a firstpolishing step of moving a portal travel frame travellable forwardly andbackwardly in one of opposite travelling directions over a vehicle heldin a stationary state to polish the body surface of the vehicle byrotary brush means mounted on the travel frame during such movementwhile applying a primary treating agent containing an anionic surfactantin a foamy form onto the body surface of the vehicle by a primarytreating agent applicator mounted on the travel frame; and a secondpolishing and rinsing step of moving the travel frame in the othertravelling direction and polishing the body surface by the rotary brushmeans while applying an aqueous wax containing a cationic surfactantonto the body surface by an aqueous wax applicator, and further ejectingfresh water onto the body surface by a rinsing unit mounted on thetravel frame to wash away excessive wax from the body surface, whereinafter termination of the first polishing step and before starting of thesecond polishing and rinsing step, the cationic surfactant-containingaqueous wax is applied to the rotary brush means for a predeterminedperiod of time.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is provided avehicle polishing apparatus on a portal travel frame reciprocallytravellable on travel rails over a vehicle, the apparatus comprisingrotary brush means which is commonly usable for both brushing andwashing operation and polishing operation of a body surface of thevehicle, a cleaner applicator for applying a cleaner onto the bodysurface, a primary treating agent applicator for applying a foamyprimary treating agent containing an anionic surfactant onto the bodysurface, an aqueous wax applicator for applying an aqueous waxcontaining a cationic surfactant onto the body surface, a rinsing unitfor ejecting fresh water onto the body surface, and a dryer for dryingthe body surface, wherein the aqueous wax applicator includes nozzlemeans adapted to directly eject the aqueous wax toward the rotary brushmeans.

With the above method, the aqueous wax containing the cationicsurfactant is directly applied to the rotary brush means prior to thesecond polishing step and hence, the applied aqueous wax can react withthe anionic surfactant-containing primary treating agent deposited onthe rotary brush means at the previous step, i.e., at the firstpolishing step to satisfactorily produce and retain an insoluble waxcomponent within the rotary brush means. Therefore, from the beginningof the second polishing step, the insoluble wax component can besatisfactorily rubbed onto a body surface which is to be polished by therotary brush means at the beginning of the second polishing step,thereby giving a thick wax film thereon.

In addition, with the above polishing apparatus according to the presentinvention, not only the first polishing step and the second polishingand rinsing step can be sequentially carried out without any hindrance,but also the cleaner applicator and the rotary brush means can beoperated prior to the first polishing step to brush and wash the bodysurface, and after the second polishing and rinsing step, the dryer canbe operated to dry the body surface. Accordingly, it is possible tofurther enhance a polishing effect on the body surface. Further, sincethe aqueous wax applicator for applying the aqueous wax onto the bodysurface at the second polishing step is also used as means for directlyapplying the aqueous wax to the rotary brush means prior to the secondpolishing step, and since the rotary brush means is used in both thebrushing-washing and the polishing operations, the polishing apparatuscan be simplified as a whole, leading to a cost reduction.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description ofpreferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view of a car washer to which isapplied one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a piping system for a primary treatingagent applicator, a rinsing unit, a cleaner applicator, and an aqueouswax applicator; and

FIGS. 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a and 7a are diagrammatic side views for illustratingthe operations of the car washer while FIGS. 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b and 7b aresimilarly diagrammatic plan views for illustrating the operations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will now be described by way of one embodimentwith reference to the accompanying drawins. Referring to FIG. 1, thereis shown a car washer in a schematic side view, to which the presentinvention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, a portal or gate-like travelframe 1 is mounted on travel rails 2 laid on a ground for longitudinallytravelling movement through travel wheels 3 pivoted thereon. The portaltravel frame 1 has an upper rotary brush 4 and a pair of left and rightside rotary brushes 5 supported thereon as rotary brush means accordingto the invention.

The upper rotary brush 4 is supported on a transverse shaft 6, laterallysuspended on the portal travel frame 1, for swinging movement in thelongitudinal directions through a swinging arm 7, and it can be drivenfor rotation by a motor 8 mounted on the swinging arm 7 through atransmitting mechanism within the swinging arm 7. The brush 4 can bebrought into contact with an upper srrface of a vehicle body to brushand wash the upper surface. A sprocket 9 is secured on the transverseshaft 6, and another sprocket 11 and an operating arm 12 are secured onan intermediate shaft 10 which is freely rotatably supported on theportal travel frame 1 behind the transverse shaft 6 (on the left side ofthe shaft as viewed in FIG. 1). An endless chain 13 is passed aroundboth of the sprockets 9 and 11. An air cylinder 15 is pivotallyconnected at its upper end through a pivot 16 to the operating arm 12and has a lower end pivoted at 14 to the portal travel frame 1, so thatwhen the air cylinder 15 in a position indicated by a solid line in FIG.1 is operated to expand a predetermined amount, the swinging arm 7 canbe swung about the transverse shaft 6 through a predetermined angle in aclockwise direction to hold the upper rotary brush 4 at an upperretracted or rest position X indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 1. Whenthe air cylinder 15 is inoperative or free, the upper rotary brush 4 canbe freely swung back and forth of the portal travel frame 1 about thetransverse shaft 6 through the swinging arm 7. In FIG. 1, the referencecharacter Y designates a limit of forward swinging movement of the upperrotary brush 4.

The pair of left and right side brushes 5 are suspended at the rearportion of the portal travel frame 1. More specifically, a pair of leftand right movable frames 18, 18 are slidably mounted on and engaged witha guide rail 17 laid transversely on the upper portion of the portaltravel frame 1, and vertical shafts 19, 19 having the pair of left andright side rotary brushes 5, 5 depending therefrom are mounted on themovable frames 18, 18, respectively. Each movable frame 18 and eachvertical shaft 19 can be swung back and forth in the direction oftravelling movement of the portal travel frame 1 about a support shaft20 for the guide rail 17. A motor 21 is carried on each movable frame 18and is operable to rotate the side rotary brush 5. The pair of left andright side rotary brushes 5 can be controlled for opening and closingmovement along the guide rail 17 and brushing front, left- andright-side and rear surfaces of the body of a vehicle. Conventionallyknown mechanisms are used for supporting and actuating the upper andleft and right side brushes 4 and 5 and hence, the detailed descriptionthereof is omitted herein.

The portal travel frame 1 is equipped at its front portion with a dryerD, and specifically, a pair of left and right side blowing nozzles 22are provided on the opposite lateral sides of the frame 1 and are openedinwardly into the frame 1, while an upper blowing nozzle 23 is liftablymounted on the upper surface of the frame 1 and similarly openedinwardly into the frame 1. These side and upper blowing nozzles 22 and23 are connected to a blower 24 mounted on an upper portion of theportal travel frame 1 so as to extend between its opposite sides. Thisdryer D is also of a conventionally known construction and hence, thedetailed description thereof is omitted herein.

Behind the side rotary brushes 5 on the portal travel frame 1, there isa primary treating agent applicator W1 for applying a primary treatingagent containing an anionic surfactant therein in the foamy form onto abody surface of the vehicle. The arrangement of the primary treatingagent applicator W1 will be described below principally with referenceto FIG. 2. A portal or gate-type ejector pipe 26 for the primarytreating agent is disposed across the portal travel frame 1 on a supportframe 25 connected to the back surface of the portal travel frame 1 andhas a plurality of nozzles 27 provided therein at distances with theirejecting ports facing inwardly into the frame 1. A foamy primarytreating agent feed pipe 28 is connected to a midway of the ejectingpipe 26 and connected through a first ejector 29, a solenoid valve 30and a reducing valve 31 to an air feed pipe 32 which is connected to anair tank A supported on the portal travel frame 1. A water pump P isconnected through a second ejector 33, a solenoid valve 34 and a freshwater feed pipe 35 to the first ejector 29. In addition, a primarytreating agent tank T1 is connected through a primary treating agentfeed pipe 36 to the second ejector 33. Thus, if the solenoid valve 34 isopened after driving of the water pump P, pressurized water is passedthrough the solenoid valve 34 into the second ejector 33, and a primarytreating agent within the primary treating agent tank T1 is drawnthereinto through the feed pipe 36 by an ejector effect, so that theprimary treating agent and the pressurized water are mixed togethertherein and passed into the first ejector 29. Thereupon, if the solenoidvalve 30 is further opened, high pressure air within the air tank A ispassed through the reducing valve 31 and the solenoid valve 30 into thefirst ejector 29 where the mixture of the primary agent and water ismixed with the high pressure air to produce a foamy primary agentmaterial which is supplied in the form of a foamy mass into the ejectingpipe 26 for ejection from the plurality of nozzles 27.

A rinsing unit R is mounted on the support frame 25 adjacent and infront of the primary agent applicator W1. The rinsing unit R comprises asubstantially portal or gate-type fresh water ejecting pipe 37 disposedsubstantially in parallel to the primary treating agent ejecting pipe26, and a plurality of nozzles 38 provided in the ejecting pipe 37 andhaving ejecting ports faced inwardly into the portal travel frame 1. Thewater pump P is connected to a midway of the fresh water ejecting pipe37 through a solenoid valve 39, so that opening of the solenoid valve 39enables the fresh water to be ejected from the nozzles 38.

Provided on the portal or gate-like travel frame 1 are an aqueous waxapplicator W2 for applying an aqueous wax containing a cationicsurfactant onto the vehicle body surface and a cleaner applicator C forapplying a cleaner onto the vehicle body surface. The aqueous waxapplicator W2 includes an upper aqueous wax ejecting pipe 40 disposed onthe upper portion of and across the travel frame 1 at a position betweenthe upper rotary brush 4 and the dryer D, and a pair of left- andright-side aqueous wax ejecting pipes 41, 41 laid on the inner left andright side surfaces of the travel frame 1 at a position between theupper rotary brush 4 and the pair of side brushes 5. The side aqueouswax ejecting pipes 41 are connected to the opposite ends of the upperaqueous wax ejecting pipe 40, respectively. The upper aqueous waxejecting pipe 40 has a plurality of ejecting nozzles 42 provided thereinwith their ejecting ports directed or faced rearwardly and downwardlyfor direct ejecting application to the upper aqueous brush 4 when thelatter is located in the vicinity of its operative position shown by thesolid line in FIG. 1. The side aqueous wax ejecting pipe 41 alsoincludes a plurality of nozzles 43 each having an ejecting port directedinwardly, horizontally and just laterally with respect to the travelframe 1 and a plurality of nozzles 44 each having an ejecting portdirected horizontally, rearwardly and inwardly toward the side rotarybrushes 5. The nozzles 42-44 constitute nozzle means according to theinvention. The upper aqueous wax ejecting pipe 40 is connected on itsmidway to the water pump P through an aqueous wax feed pipe 45, a thirdejector 46 and a solenoid valve 47. An aqueous wax tank T2 is connectedthrough a solenoid valve 48 to the third ejector 46. Thus, if both ofthe solenoid valves 47 and 48 are opened after driving of the water pumpP, the pressurized water is passed to the ejector 46 where this water ismixed with an aqueous wax drawn thereinto out of the aqueous tank T2under an ejector effect, and the resulting mixture is ejected throughthe plurality of nozzles 42, 43 and 44. Alternatively, if the solenoidvalve 47 is opened with the solenoid valve 48 closed, a fresh water canbe ejected through the nozzles 42, 43 and 44.

The cleaner applicator C comprises an upper cleaner ejecting pipe 49mounted on the portal travel frame 1 adjacent the rear portion of theupper aqueous wax ejecting pipe 40, and side aqueous ejecting pipes 50,50 mounted on the frame 1 adjacent the rear portions of the side aqueouswax ejecting pipes 41. The side ejecting pipes 50 are connected to theopposite ends of the upper ejecting pipe 49, respectively. The upperejecting pipe 49 is provided with a plurality nozzles 51 each having anejecting port directed just downwardly so that a cleaner can be directlyejected to the upper rotary brush 4 when the latter is located in thevicinity of the operative position indicated by the solid line inFIG. 1. The side ejecting pipe 50 also includes a plurality of nozzles52 provided therein with their ejecting ports directed inwardly to theside rotary brushes 5. The water pump P is connected to a midway of theupper cleaner ejecting pipe 49 through a cleaner feed pipe 53, a fourthejector 54 and a solenoid valve 55. A cleaner tank T3 is connectedthrough a solenoid valve 56 to the fourth ejector 54. Thus, if both ofthe solenoid valves 55 and 56 are opened after driving of the water pumpP, the pressurized water is passed into the fourth ejector 54 where thiswater is mixed with a cleaner drawn thereinto out of the cleaner tank T3under an ejector effect, and the resulting mixture is ejected throughthe plurality of nozzles 51 and 52. Alternatively, if the solenoid valve55 is opened while the solenoid valve 56 is closed, the fresh water canbe ejected through the nozzles 51 and 52.

The operations of the system for actuating the individual rotary brushes4 and 5, the cleaner applicator C, the primary treating agent applicatorW1, and the aqueous wax applicator W2, the rinsing unit R and the dryerD, as well as the operation of travelling of the travel frame 1 arecontrolled by a control system 57 mounted on the travel frame 1.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below with referenceto FIGS. 3a and 3b through 7a and 7b.

Brushing and washing step

First, the vehicle V is stopped at a predetermined location between thetravel rails 2. In the left end position of the portal travel frame 1 asviewed in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the upper rotary brush 4 is lowered from theretracted position X shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1 to the operativeposition shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 in the above-described mannerwhile leaving the upper blowing nozzle 23 maintained at its raisedlocation. Thereafter, when the upper rotary brush 4 and the pair of leftand right side rotary brushes 5 are rotated in a normal direction(indicated by an arrow r1 in FIGS. 3a and 3b) and when the portal travelframe is advanced in the right direction as viewed in FIG. 3 whileejecting the cleaner from the upper and side ejecting pipes 49 and 50and also the fresh water from the fresh water ejecting pipe 37, theupper rotary brush 4 is swung about the transverse shaft 6 to brush andwash the upper surface of the body of the vehicle V, while the pair ofleft and right side brushes 5 are controlled in opening and closingalong the guide rail 17 to sequentially brush and wash the frontsurface, the left and right opposite sides and the rear surface of thevehicle body. The dirt and cleaner remaining on the body surface as aresult of such brushing and washing are washed away by the fresh waterejected through the fresh water ejecting pipe 37. Such brushing andwashing is conventionally well known, and in this embodiment, it shouldbe particularly noted that the pair of left and right side rotarybrushes 5 can be reversed (in the direction indicated by an arrow r2 inFIG. 3b) after brushing of the front surface of the vehicle body, namelyin brushing the left and right opposite sides and the rear surface ofthe vehicle body.

In this way, when the travel frame 1 has reached a right end position asindicated by a dashed line in FIG. 3, the travelling thereof is stopped,while at the same time stopping the ejection of the cleaner and thefresh water, thus completing the brushing and washing step for thevehicle body.

First polishing step

With the portal travel frame 1 in the right end position as shown by thesolid line in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the upper and side rotary brushes 4 and 5are now reversed (in the direction indicated by the arrow r2 in FIGS. 4aand 4b) and the portal travel frame 1 is retreated in the left directionas viewed in FIG. 4 while ejecting the foamy primary treating agent fromthe primary treating agent ejecting pipe 26 of the primary agentapplicator W1. In doing so, the foamy primary treating agent is appliedonto the vehicle body surface which can be then polished by theindividual rotary brushes 4 and 5 in the procedure opposite to theabove-described brushing and washing, i.e., the foamy primary treatingagent can be rubbed onto the vehicle body surface. It is noted that insuch polishing step, the pair of side rotary brushes 5 are againnormally rotated (in the direction indicated by the arrow r1 in FIG. 4b)after polishing of the rear surface of the vehicle body, namely inpolishing the opposite-side surfaces and the front surface of thevehicle body.

The primary treating agent ejected in this step is in the foamy form andhence, cannot be immediately dropped after applied onto the surface ofthe vehicle body, and even a relative small amount of the primarytreating agent can be uniformly applied onto the body surface.

Thus, when the portal travel frame 1 has reached the left end positionas shown by the dashed line in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the travelling thereofis stopped while at the same time cutting-off the ejection of the foamyprimary treating agent, thereby completing the first polishing step forthe vehicle body.

Step for applying the aqueous wax to the rotary brushes

Then, with the portal travel frame 1 left stationary at the left endposition as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the upper and side rotary brushes4 and 5 are normally rotated (in the direction indicated by the arrow r1in FIGS. 5a and 5b) and the aqueous wax is ejected through the upper andside aqueous wax ejecting pipes 40 and 41 of the aqueous wax applicatorW2 for direct application to the upper and side rotary brushes 4 and 5.Such application is continued for a period of time sufficiently to allowthe cationic surfactant in the aqueous wax applied to react with theanionic surfactant in the primary treating agent deposited on theindividual rotary brushes 4 and 5 at the first polishing step andsatisfactorily produce an insoluble wax component, for example, forabout 5 seconds.

Second polishing and rinsing step

Upon completion of the aqueous wax application step, the fresh water isejected through the fresh water ejecting pipe 37 of the rinsing unit Rwhile subsequently maintaining the aqueous wax applicator W2 in anoperative state, and the travel frame 1 is advanced in the rightdirection as viewed in FIGS. 6a and 6b. This advancing movement causesthe body surface to be applied with the aqueous wax and again polishedby the upper and side rotary brushes 4 and 5 in the same order as in theafore-mentioned brushing and washing step, while causing the excessivewax on the body surface to be washed away by the fresh water ejectedfrom the rinsing unit R. It is noted that in such second polishing step,the pair of side rotary brushes 5 are reversed (in the directionindicated by the arrow r2 in FIG. 6b) after polishing of the frontsurface of the vehicle body, i.e., in polishing the opposite sidesurfaces and the rear surface of the vehicle body.

In the above second polishing step, the insoluble wax componentsatisfactorily produced and retained in the rotary brushes 4 and 5 atthe previous step, i.e., at the step for applying the aqueous wax to therotary brushes and the insoluble wax component produced from the contactreaction of the aqueous wax applied at the second polishing step withthe primary treating agent deposited on the vehicle body surface at thefirst polishing step can be rubbed onto the individual surfaces of thevehicle body under the polishing action of the rotary brushes 4 and 5 toform a thick wax film thereon.

Thus, when the portal travel frame 1 has reached the right end positionas shown by the dashed line in FIGS. 6a and 6b, the travelling thereofis stopped while at the same time stopping the rotation of theindividual rotary brushes 4 and 5 and the ejection of the aqueous waxand the fresh water. Then, the rotary brush 4 is raised to the upperretracted position X in the above-described manner and further, the pairof side rotary brushes 5 are opened outwardly, thus completing thesecond polishing and rinsing step.

Drying step

Finally, the portal travel frame 1 which is in the right end position inFIGS. 7a and 7b is retreated again, and the upper blowing nozzle 23 islowered to an appropriate position. Then, the blower 24 is driven toeject drying air simultaneously from the pair of side nozzles 22 and theupper blowing nozzle 23, which air is blown onto the entire rinsedsurface of the vehicle body. This enables droplets of water on thevehicle body surface to be blown off. If the portal travel frame 1 hasreached the left end position, the travelling thereof is stopped and thedriving of the blower 24 is stopped to complete the drying step for thevehicle body.

In the above manner, all the steps of washing, polishing with the foamyprimary agent, polishing and rinsing with the aqueous wax and drying ofthe vehicle body are completed.

It is to be understood that in the first polishing step, the foamyprimary treating agent containing the anionic surfactant forms a primarytreating agent film on the body surface under the polishing action ofthe rotary brushes 4 and 5, so that such film enables the cationicsurfactant containing aqueous wax applied onto the vehicle body surfaceto be easily deposited onto the vehicle body surface at the secondpolishing step. In addition, this deposition of the aqueous wax resultsin a reaction of the cationic surfactant in that wax with the anionicsurfactant in the primary treating agent to convert the wax componentdissolved in the aqueous wax into an insoluble component which can berubbed onto vehicle body surface under the polishing action of theindividual rotary brushes 4 and 5. Though there is a slight time lagfrom the point of contact of both the surfactants to the point ofproduction of such insoluble wax component, however, according to thepresent invention, the aqueous wax is directly applied to the individualrotary brushes 4 and 5 prior to the second polishing step and therefore,it is possible for the thus-applied aqueous wax to react with theprimary treating agent deposited on the indiidual brushes 4 and 5 at thepreceding step i.e., at the polishing step to satisfactorily produce andretain the insoluble wax component in the individual rotary brushes 4and 5, permitting the second polishing step to be proceeded with theinsoluble component kept in such retained state. Therefore, from thebeginning of the second polishing step, the insoluble wax component canbe satisfactorily rubbed even onto the vehicle body surface (forexample, the front surface of a bonnet as indicated by a character B inFIG. 6b) which is polished by the rotary brushes 4 and 5 at thebeginning of the second polishing step, thereby giving a thick wax film,without any hindrance even if the polishing time is shortened due to anincrease in travelling speed of the travel frame 1.

Although the aqueous wax has been directly applied to all of the upperrotary brush 4 and the opposite-side rotary brushes 5 prior to thesecond polishing step in the above embodiment, it should be understoodthat according to the present invention, the aqueous wax may be directlyapplied to one of the rotary brushes 4 and 5 only in such a manner thatthe applied aqueous wax may be scattered by the one rotary brush to theother rotary brush, thus causing reaction of the wax also with theprimary treating agent deposited in the other rotary brush, thenproceeding to the second polishing step.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle polishing method comprising at least: afirst polishing step of moving a portal travel frame travellableforwardly and backwardly in one of opposite travelling directions over avehicle held in a stationary state to polish a body surface of saidvehicle by rotary brush means mounted on said travel frame during suchmovement while applying a primary treating agent containing an anionicsurfactant in a foamy form onto the body surface of said vehicle by aprimary treating agent applicator mounted on said travel frame; and asecond polishing and rinsing step of moving said travel frame in theother travelling direction and polishing said body surface by saidrotary brush means while applying an aqueous wax containing a cationicsurfactant onto said body surface by an aqueous wax applicator, andfurther ejecting fresh water onto said body surface by a rinsing unitmounted on said travel frame to wash away excessive wax from said bodysurface, wherein after termination of said first polishing step andbefore starting of said second polishing and rinsing step, said cationicsurfactant-containing aqueous wax is applied to said rotary brush meansfor a predetermined period of time.
 2. A vehicle polishing apparatus ona portal travel frame reciprocally travellable on travel rails over avehicle, said apparatus comprising rotary brush means which is commonlyusable for both brushing and washing operation and polishing operationof a body surface of said vehicle, a cleaner applicator for applying acleaner onto said body surface, a primary treating agent applicator forapplying a foamy primary treating agent containing an anionic surfactantonto said body surface, an aqueous wax applicator for applying anaqueous wax containing a cationic surfactant onto said body surface, arinsing unit for ejecting fresh water onto said body surface, and adryer for drying said body surface, wherein said aqueous wax applicatorincludes nozzle means adapted to directly eject said aqueous wax towardsaid rotary brush means.